This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988.
Original caption reads, "Between January 30 and February 5, 1988, I revisited, with my wife Carol, the Igbo group of communities called Afikpo on the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria, .... Michael Agwu, from Ibii Village, Afikpo. He teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt. Photo taken at the Imo State Hotel, Afikpo. He was visiting Afikpo with us from Port Harcourt." [Ottenberg field research notes, January 1988-February 1988].
Local Numbers:
39/1988
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988.
Original caption reads, "Between January 30 and February 5, 1988, I revisited, with my wife Carol, the Igbo group of communities called Afikpo on the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria, .... Michael Agwu, from Ibii Village, Afikpo. He teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt. Photo taken at the Imo State Hotel, Afikpo. He was visiting Afikpo with us from Port Harcourt." [Ottenberg field research notes, January 1988-February 1988].
Local Numbers:
40/1988
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988.
Original caption reads, "Between January 30 and February 5, 1988, I revisited, with my wife Carol, the Igbo group of communities called Afikpo on the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria, .... Michael Agwu, from Ibii Village, Afikpo. He teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt. Photo taken at the Imo State Hotel, Afikpo. He was visiting Afikpo with us from Port Harcourt." [Ottenberg field research notes, January 1988-February 1988].
Local Numbers:
41/1988
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988.
Original caption reads, "Between January 30 and February 5, 1988, I revisited, with my wife Carol, the Igbo group of communities called Afikpo on the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria, .... Michael Agwu, from Ibii Village, Afikpo. He teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt. Photo taken at the Imo State Hotel, Afikpo. He was visiting Afikpo with us from Port Harcourt." [Ottenberg field research notes, January 1988-February 1988].
Local Numbers:
42/1988
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988.
Original caption reads, "Between January 30 and February 5, 1988, I revisited, with my wife Carol, the Igbo group of communities called Afikpo on the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria, .... Michael Agwu, from Ibii Village, Afikpo. He teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt. Photo taken at the Imo State Hotel, Afikpo. He was visiting Afikpo with us from Port Harcourt." [Ottenberg field research notes, January 1988-February 1988].
Local Numbers:
43/1988
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988.
Original caption reads, "Between January 30 and February 5, 1988, I revisited, with my wife Carol, the Igbo group of communities called Afikpo on the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria, .... Michael Agwu, from Ibii Village, Afikpo. He teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt. Photo taken at the Imo State Hotel, Afikpo. He was visiting Afikpo with us from Port Harcourt." [Ottenberg field research notes, January 1988-February 1988].
Local Numbers:
44/1988
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988.
Original caption reads, "Between January 30 and February 5, 1988, I revisited, with my wife Carol, the Igbo group of communities called Afikpo on the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria, .... Michael Agwu, from Ibii Village, Afikpo. He teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt. Photo taken at the Imo State Hotel, Afikpo. He was visiting Afikpo with us from Port Harcourt." [Ottenberg field research notes, January 1988-February 1988].
Local Numbers:
45/1988
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while he was invited to receive a chieftaincy title at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from October 11, 1992 to October 20, 1992.
Original caption reads, "Oil paintings by Michael Agwu. He was born in Ibii Village, Afikpo, now teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt, in Port Harcourt. It is entitled 'The Professional Artist.'." [Ottenberg field research notes, October 1992].
Local Numbers:
38/10-1992
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while he was invited to receive a chieftaincy title at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from October 11, 1992 to October 20, 1992.
Original caption reads, "Oil paintings by Michael Agwu. He was born in Ibii Village, Afikpo, now teaches art at the University of Port Harcourt, in Port Harcourt. It is entitled 'Royal Composition.'." [Ottenberg field research notes, October 1992].
Local Numbers:
39/10-1992
General:
Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Other Archival Materials:
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
The papers of painter and educator Karl Benjamin consist of thirteen items dating from 1958-1980 and include correspondence and clippings relating to Benjamin's career as a painter and teacher, and one photograph.
Nine letters, seven of which are written by Benjamin and four of which are photocopies, are to a variety of people and relate to the beginning of Benjamin's career as a painter, his feelings about teaching, and his exhibitions, including the origins of the 1959 show Four Abstract Classicists. Included are a resignation letter to the Chino school district in 1977, and an exchange with a former student who recalls Benjamin as an art teacher.
Three clippings include a newspaper article from the Chino Champion regarding a beautification project Benjamin was involved in at Gird Elementary in Chino, California and a printed letter written and submitted by Benjamin to the Los Angeles Times in August, 1978 regarding Proposition 13. Also found is a 1977 photograph of Benjamin's baby granddaughter.
Collection Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Karl Benjamin papers, 1958-1980.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Frederick Hammersley Foundation.
This series contains correspondence and other materials related to Curry's position as Artist in Residence at the University of Wisconsin (1936-1946), other professional projects during that period, and scattered earlier correspondence and print material. Other types of documents found include receipts, invoices, lists of artwork, clippings, photographs, blueprints, and other miscellany. Documents are arranged alphabetically by personal name, corporate name, subject, or project. Substantial files are found for galleries that represented Curry, including Maynard Walker's Ferargil Gallery, Walker Galleries, and Associated American Artists. Curry's major mural projects are documented under the headings "Kansas State House Murals," "Treasury Department, Section of Painting and Sculpture," and University of Wisconsin. Illustration jobs are filed by title or publisher under the heading Book Illustration.
Background documentation for Curry's appointment as artist-in-residence in the agricultural college at the University of Wisconsin is found in the University of Wisconsin files, including writings and research materials related to the "Rural Art" program he served there. Throughout the series, correspondence with art students, art teachers, aspiring artists, art clubs, and other civic clubs in Wisconsin and throughout the midwest reflect his role in this initiative.
Arrangement note:
Arrangement is idiosyncratic. In general, letters are filed alphabetically by organization or corporate name, if applicable. Place names for schools and civic clubs are common access points. Names with five or more letters are filed in their own folders, and the remainder of correspondence is filed in miscellaneous files. Selected correspondents whose names do not appear in headings are indicated in a note following the folder heading. Materials other than correspondence are also noted in the folder listing.
Collection Restrictions:
The bulk of the collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Access to undigitized portions requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
John Steuart Curry and Curry family papers, 1900-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
This series is comprised of the professional and personal papers of Charlotte Park, Abstract Expressionist painter, art teacher, wife of James Brooks and executor of his estate.
Biographical materials include notes about Park and other family members, copies of her birth certificate, and resumés.
Correspondence consists of personal and business letters addressed to Charlotte and to the couple. In addition, there is correspondence concerning James Brooks' estate, posthumous exhibitions, and other business matters. Also found are copies of the correspondence of curator Meg Perlman and of Julie Lawrence Cochran, Director of the James Brooks and Charlotte Park Brooks Foundation.
Writings by Park include 3 notebooks. Also included are a diary kept during a trip to Japan, and miscellaneous notes. Writings by others are a catalog essay on James Brooks, a poem by Stanley Kunitz, and one by Hilda Morley written for Park's 1979 show at The Laundry.
Among the subject files is documentation of Park's participation in the Art Lending Service of the Museum of Modern Art , her teaching activities, and interest in the women's movement. Other files concern The James Brooks and Charlotte Park Brooks Foundation, The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc., and a James Brooks catalogue raisonné project. Exhibition files document Park exhibitions, posthumous Brooks exhibitions, and a show that included work by both.
Personal business records include inventories, price lists, conservation records, sales, inventories, and gifts of artwork documenting Park's career, Brooks estate business and management of his artwork.
Printed material consists of articles, exhibition announcements, catalogs, and miscellaneous items relating to Charlotte Park and James Brooks. Material concerning Brooks was published after his death.
Artwork consists of two ink drawings: one by Abbott Pattison inscribed "St. Charlotte to me Abbott Pattison," and an unsigned portrait of an unidentified man.
Photographic materials are photographs, negatives, slides, and color transparencies. Subjects are artwork by Park and views of a few Park exhibition installations. There are pictures of Charlotte Park alone and with friends, students, and her parents. Also found are views of the graves of various Hawkes-Park family members. A small photograph album consists of snapshots of Charlotte Park and Jim Brooks, unidentified friends, and cats.
Collection Restrictions:
ACCESS RESTRICTED: Use of original material requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Access requires written permission from The James Brooks and Charlotte Park Brooks Foundation. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
James Brooks and Charlotte Park papers, 1909-2010, bulk 1930-2010. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Africa, West -- Description and Travel -- 1851-1950
Date:
1923-1986
Scope and Contents:
Photographs, artwork, scrapbooks, and Tulk's autobiography document his career as an artist. Over 160 photographs (ca. 1920's-1980's) depict Tulk and his work. Eighty-three drawings and paintings range from student work at Yale to professional designs for the Rambusch Company and other design firms. Two scrapbooks assembled by Tulk contain reviews and exhibit announcements. His autobiography, describing his two-year residence in West Africa in the 1930's, and a descriptive list of murals painted between 1925-1960 are included among his notes and writings. Letters (1940-1986) are mostly business-related correspondence between Tulk and the Rambusch Company. Clippings (1936-1984) discuss the altar designs Tulk created for ships and camps during World War II and his work for the Rambusch Company. Other materials include a 1985 video-taped interview with Tulk and many copyright certificates for his designs.
Biographical / Historical:
Born in London, England. Tulk received his Bachelors Degree from Yale University in 1923 and his Masters Degree from the University of Guanajualo, Mexico. Mural painting occupied most of his earlier years with commissions in painting, stained glass, and mosaics. He painted over 300 large murals between 1925 and 1954 for theatres, churches, hotels, restaurants, and private homes. During World War II Tulk worked with camouflage and the painting of altar triptychs for U.S. Chaplains in camps and on battleships. From 1960 to 1987 he painted landscapes, portraits, and abstract paintings.
Provenance:
Papers were bequeathed to Tulk's daughter, Sheila Tulk Payne, who donated them to the Archives.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection documents Binney & Smith, Inc. creators and manufacturers of Crayola crayons. Includes documentation on 20th century advertising, commercial packaging, commercial imagery, and retail merchandising: newsletters, annual reports, research and development records, color charts, advertising materials, and product information, including catalogs and price lists.
Scope and Contents:
The Binney & Smith Inc. Records, document twentieth century advertising, commercial packaging, commercial imagery, and retail merchandising. They are a major source for research on American consumer culture. This collection is divided into thirteen (13) series.
Series 2: Executive Records, 1897-1995, consists of annual and corporate reports, by-laws, minutes, correspondence, annual reports, stockholder materials and the attempted merger of Binney & Smith by Cheeseborough-Ponds in the early 1970s and the Kellogg Co., ca. 1979.
Series 3: Financial, Sales, and Marketing Records, 1902-1990, consists primarily of sales information and statistics for crayons and other products. The correspondence, 1913-1931, includes documentation on monthly sales with explanations and analysis. Binney & Smith created comparative data on a yearly basis for products and salesmen. The salesmen data, 1919-1932, contains the amount of sales, expenses, percentages, time periods, and increases and decreases in business. Specific salesmen are cited in reports. All of the sales information should be consulted as there is considerable overlap.
Series 4: Employee/Personnel Records, 1917-1993, contains payroll rate books, employee reports and miscellaneous documentation. The payroll rate books include the names of employees and the rate at which they were paid per hour. In some instances it is noted if the employee left the company.
Series 5: Newsletters and Publications, 1948-1995, include newsletters and other publications produced by Binney & Smith, Inc. Arranged alphabetically, this series contains publications intended for both internal distribution such as the Rainbow Insider and external distribution such as the Art Educationist and Drawing Teacher. This series provides valuable information on the history of the company, how it operates, the types of products produced, and the employees. The Art Educationist, formerly known as the Drawing Teacher, which began publication in 1926, was a publication for art teachers that promoted the value of art in schools. It contains editorials, comments from teachers, and suggested art activities.
Series 6: Research and Development Records, 1905-1987, includes a wide variety of materials documenting the Research and Development Department. The bulk of the materials include crayon formulas. Other formulas for products such as chalk exist.
Series 7: Advertising and Marketing Records, 1918-1998, contains several subseries with the bulk of the material being documentation on labeling and packaging. The advertising accounts are arranged chronologically and then within each year, alphabetically by the name of the journal or magazine in which Binney & Smith advertised. The cards provide the name, address, date of contract, date of expiration, space allotted, rate, subject of the ad, and remarks if applicable. Information on distribution and "specials" is available for some years. The promotional materials consist of licensing information, press kits, and printed literature, particularly Promotional Plans which describe the details of each promotion offered for each product along with suggestions for merchandising activities.
Series 8: Catalogs, 1916-1995, and Series 9: Price Lists, 1916-1995, are arranged alphabetically by division within Binney & Smith, Inc. Both series provide documentation on the types of products available to the consumer and costs associated with each product.
Series 10: Product Information, 1918-1995, consists of printed literature on a variety of products produced by Binney & Smith, Inc. The series is arranged alphabetically. The product inventories, 1920-1925, are arranged by product number in sequential order. There are three distinct inventories--those arranged by product number (#1-#7026); those arranged alpha-numerically (#04-#04Y); and those arranged alphabetically.
Series 11: Competitors, 1918-1992, contains published catalogs and advertising of crayon competitors. There is a scrapbook of competitors advertising contains correspondence, product information, advertisements, and newspaper clippings for the American Crayon Co., Art Crayon Co., Botts Mfg., Eberhard Faber Co., Ferst Brothers, Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Milton-Bradley Co., and National Crayon Co.
Series 12: Photographs and Scrapbooks, circa 1900s-1997, includes several subseries documenting buildings and office spaces,displays, employees and machinery, products, portraits, photo albums, and oversized. The oversized photographs contain some panoramic shots of Binney & Smith company "annual outings." The photograph albums consist of several albums including the Middletown Township Workshop, 1952, an art workshop sponsored by Binney & Smith, Inc. Three albums contain photographs of various construction and expansion projects from the 1960s to 1975. Of note is the photo album containing photographs and newspaper clippings from the 1959 California Pacific Crayon Company fire. Also, there are Binney & Smith company albums, 1949-1976, that document a variety of activities within the company. Each album was photographed by W. H. Milliken, Jr., and specified the location, date, and number of photographs in the album. The albums cover topics such as art shows, trade shows, suppers, dinner parties, office shots, employee anniversaries, and retirement parties. The scrapbooks span the years 1962-1975, and contain both newspaper clippings and some black and white photographs documenting various company activities and its employees.
Series 13: Audio-Visual Materials, circa 1980s-1998, contain two 1/2" VHS tapes documenting the 40th anniversary of the Crayola 64 box and Silly Putty.
Arrangement:
Series 1: Historical Background
Series 2: Executive Records, 1897-1995
Series 3: Financial, Sales, and Marketing Records, 1902-1990
Series 4: Employee/Personnel Records, 1917-1993
Series 5: Newsletters and Publications, 1948-1995
Series 6: Research and Development Records, 1905-1987
Series 7: Advertising and Promotional Records, 1918-1998
Series 8: Catalogs, 1916-1995
Series 9: Price Lists, 1916-1925
Series 10: Product Information, 1918-1925
Series 11: Competitors, 1918-1992
Series 12: Photographs and Scrapbooks, circa 1900s-1997
Series 13: Audiovisual Materials, circa 1980-1998.
Series 1: Historical Background, 1956-1990s
Series 2: Executive Records, 1897-1995
Series 3: Financial, Sales and Marketing Records, 1902-1990
Series 4: Employee and Personnel Records, 1917-1993
Series 5: Newsletters and Publications, 1948-1995
Series 6: Research and Development Records, 1905-1987
Series 7: Advertising and Promotional Records, 1918-1998
Series 8: Catalogs, 1916-1995
Series 9: Price Lists, 1916-1995
Series 10: Product Information, 1918-1995
Series 11: Competitors, 1918-1992
Series 12: Photographs and Scrapbooks, circa 1900s-1997
Series 13: Audio-Visual Materials, circa 1980-1998
Biographical / Historical:
In 1864, Joseph W. Binney (1836-1898), began a small chemical works in Peekskill, New York. He ground and packaged hardwood charcoal and manufactured small quantities of lamp black from whale oil. In 1880, he opened a New York City office taking on his nephew, C. Harold Smith (1860-1931) as a salesman. Later, Joseph Binney's son, Edwin Binney (1866-1934), joined the business. The organization was known as the Peekskill Chemical Co. Joseph W. Binney retired and in May 1885, Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith formed a partnership, Binney & Smith. Their early products included red oxide pigment used in barn paint and carbon for black tires. In 1900, the company began producing slate school pencils in its Easton, Pennsylvania mill. With the assistance of John Ketchum, the owner of a talc mine in North Carolina, Binney began combining old slate waste with cement and the talc supplied by Ketchum to produce slate pencils. Two years later, Binney & Smith introduced their white dustless blackboard chalk, "Au-Du-Septic" and in 1903, the company produced a box of eight crayons, which sold for a nickel. The word "Crayola" coined by Edwin Binney's wife, Alice, comes from "craie" the French word for chalk, and "ola," from oleaginous, meaning oily or pertaining to oil. Binney & Smith's best known product is Crayola crayons. However, its product line now includes: tempera, washable, and fabric paints, Liquitex acrylic paints, Magic Marker, chalk, clay, and Jazzy fashion and craft accessories. Binney & Smith acquired Silly Putty in 1977 and in 1984, became a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc. Products are still manufactured in Easton, Pennsylvania (world headquarters), as well as Mexico, and Indonesia and are available in twelve languages. In 2007, the company changed its name to Crayola LLC.
Separated Materials:
Artifacts were donated to the National Museum of American History, Division of Cultural History (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) on November 18, 1997 and March 15, 1998. The artifacts consist of more than 150 objects, including 79 boxes of Crayola crayons from the 1900s to 1998; 24 boxes of chalk from the 1890s to 1998, 18 art kits; 10 sets of EDU-CARDS from the 1960s and 1970s; and 10 packages of Silly Putty from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the National Museum of American History, Archives Center on November 18, 1997, by Binney & Smith through Patrick Morris. Additional materials were donated in March 1998, by Binney & Smith through Tracey Muldoon Moran and in February 2000 through Stacy Gabrielle.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
